1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to modular jacks which incorporate a light emitting diode.
2. Brief Description of Earlier Developments
The use of a light emitting diode (LED) in a modular jack is well known in the art. The LED indicates that a signal is being received at the jack and is useful, for example, in trouble shooting a communications fault.
A number of arrangements for positioning the LED and the modular jack are suggested by the prior art. For example, in certain arrangements the LED is positioned inside the metallic shield and often below the body of the modular jack. The disadvantage of such an arrangement is that noise from the LED may tend to interfere with the signals to the jack.
Another arrangement which is disclosed by the prior art is one in which the LED is positioned on top of the jack. While such an arrangement may result in somewhat less interference with signals to the jack than one in which the jack is positioned above the LED, such interference may still result. Further, when a plurality of jacks are stacked one over the other in a gang jack, cables which are connected to the upper jacks may obscure the LED's on the lower jacks.
Another drawback to the prior art arrangement is that many LED's which are conventionally used with modular jacks are positioned in a cored out portion of the insulative housing of the jack. The replacement of such LED's can often be expensive and time consuming. Consequently, the intire jack is often disposed of in the event of the failure of the LED.
A need, therefore, exists for a modular jack with an LED in which noise from the LED does not tend to interfere with ksignals to the jack and in which the LED is not obscured by cables in a stacked modular jack configuration. A further need exists for a modular jack in which LED's which are used with the jack are quickly and easily replaceable in hte event of the failure of an LED. In particular, a need exists for a modular jack in which the LED is field repaceable by the user of the jack.